To be disappointed in hearing that many UK woman drink during pregnancy [shock]

[Leati]

Yesterday, I was on a thread when some of the women started questioning about US policy on drinking alcohol during pregnancies. One of the women had heard that if you have a glass of wine, you could be arrested. I assured her that wasn't true but there was chance that if you were visibly pregnant that the restaurant or bar might exercise their right to refuse service. And if a pediatrician became suspicious of drug or alcohol abuse, they could have the baby?s blood tested at birth. If the baby is found to have these in their blood, the child will be taken away. Another woman pitched that she found it disturbing that restaurants had signs warning pregnant women.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. These women seemed to believe it was actually okay to drink during their pregnancies. Hadn't they heard of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. So today, I did a little research and was shocked to learn that it is a big problem in the UK and that there is little education about it there.

Women who are angry over mothers choosing the bottle over nursing are damaging their children by drinking alcohol. This is not minor damage, in some case it is equivalent to severe mental retardation and in others it less obvious cognitive problems. Overall nearly 10% of babies born in the UK are suffering from some sort of cognitive problems directly related to alcohol exposure in the womb.

What broke my heart the most is that I have been on this site and I know that the mothers on this site care so much for their children. That while I may not always agree with everything said and our perspectives are not always the same, that we share a common love for our children. So I felt compelled to start this thread and share the information. I hope that you will share it, with your loved ones and it may spread.

I have attached some sites so you can research this yourself. These sites are both from the UK and the US.

www.fasaware.co.uk/

www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/west/series2/fetal_alcohol_syndro mfaspregnancydrinkinglearning_difficulties.shtml

www.healthychildrenproject.org/glossa ry/

Who would judge ??

God ???

Well, I'm a Christian - so take that log out of your eye first.....

I can see how this tone was so upsetting.

Yesterday, I was on a thread when some of the women started questioning about US policy on drinking alcohol during pregnancies. One of the women had heard that if you have a glass of wine, you could be arrested. I assured her that wasn't true but there was chance that if you were visibly pregnant that the restaurant or bar might exercise their right to refuse service. And if a pediatrician became suspicious of drug or alcohol abuse, they could have the baby?s blood tested at birth. If the baby is found to have these in their blood, the child will be taken away. Another woman pitched that she found it disturbing that restaurants had signs warning pregnant women.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. These women seemed to believe it was actually okay to drink during their pregnancies. Hadn't they heard of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. So today, I did a little research and was shocked to learn that it is a big problem in the UK and that there is little education about it there.

Women who are angry over mothers choosing the bottle over nursing are damaging their children by drinking alcohol. This is not minor damage, in some case it is equivalent to severe mental retardation and in others it less obvious cognitive problems. Overall nearly 10% of babies born in the UK are suffering from some sort of cognitive problems directly related to alcohol exposure in the womb.

What broke my heart the most is that I have been on this site and I know that the mothers on this site care so much for their children. That while I may not always agree with everything said and our perspectives are not always the same, that we share a common love for our children. So I felt compelled to start this thread and share the information. I hope that you will share it, with your loved ones and it may spread.

Doesn't really matter anyway.

Had you approached this differently, you may have given some people pause for thought on a serious issue.

If you genuinely wanted to influence people's behaviour then I suspect you have failed.

Think about that, if you are genuinely planning to send a diatribe to UK press agencies.

Ah, now there's a 3.15 in the morning kinda post if ever I heard one.

Leati, sorry if we have shaken your world view a little. But honestly. Try to open your mind just a little. You said at the outset we cared about our children. You can see we are not stupid. Can you understand that we might have evidence and interpretations that differ from yours and that that's OK?

Honestly I promise you, the discussion we are having here tonight will not affect the incidence of FAS and other alcohol related symptoms one jot. Because we're not the audience that needs to be educated about this stuff...

Lauriefairycake
No, not god. I am copying and saving this conversation as we speak. So that it can be shared.

I am not uneducated about FAS, I am an alcohol/drug counsellor as I have posted.

It is still ok to drink one or two units a week.

Noone has posted that they advocate drinking lots.

The relationship between alcohol and possible fetal damage is a curve. The first sip of wine does carry a risk but it is negliable (say equivalent to being struck by lightning twice) the first glass increases the risk dramatically but still puts it low relative to other risks we make. Once you start drinking half a bottle or so a day the risks start to become significant and these dramatically increase with every extra shot of vodka. So while its true to say that there is no safe limit, it is also true to say that moderate drinking is no more risky than any other choice we make such as crossing the road

oh god we will be judged, send me to slaughter now....

sorry a little childish but this is just stupid. do you honestly think a convo on MN will make front page news or change the researchers views on what is/isnt ok during pregnancy?

everyone has a right to their own opinion and choices.

we all respect you do not want to drink during your pregnancies, we are not asking you to respect us as you obviously have strong views, but not lecturing us on our decisions, when you in fact have no sufficient evidence and no professional experience to speak of.

SHARED Leati ??

You said 'judged'

You have been judging us for 3 hours!

Is it REALLY news that a bunch of educated women choose to believe their own doctors who say that the occasional glass of wine will not harm their child?

And besides, I think "The truth is it was my intention all along to get a log that showed the casual attitude of drinking during pregnancy in the UK. Thank You ladies for your time." really undermines you.

Leati I have skimread this thread and have tried to resist posting but I think you are being extremely sanctimonious and patronising. Ok - you have an opinion that you feel is backed up by the Web, but it seems most of us do not agree with you. When people don't agree with me (happens a lot) I don't feel the need to carry on ramming it down their throats.
Either way I would like to think we are all capable of clicking on a link or indeed researching something for ourselves; why do you feel the need to copy the web pages into the thread? Do you think we are all loons?

Please get a life - I'm glad that your dcs are healthy with an alcoholic free womb experience I really am. My dcs are also absolutley fine too and I drank the recommended amount at the time, a couple of glasses of wine over a week or the odd half of stout.

Leati is another journo?

Hang on, twice now have said that you felt "compelled to share".

But you have also said "The truth is it was my intention all along to get a log that showed the casual attitude of drinking during pregnancy in the UK. Thank You ladies for your time."

So one of these posts is a lie. Which one?

Leati, I feel compelled to come and warn you of the dangers of road traffic accidents. Every year thousands of people in the US are killed in car accidents. It is heartbreaking. If there is the slightest risk of your child being harmed in a car accident, why take the risk - stop driving, stay in the house, lock all the doors and windows so the nasty paedophiles can't get in. I find it so upsetting that you would risk your child by not becomming a reclude. God Bless America.

absolutely

Leakycauldron

actually in the UK it's foetal alcohol syndrome

recluse.

Oh and "ambilicord"? PMSL. How can you have read all that research that you say you've read and still not know that it's an umbilical cord.

honestly what a non-story. why would a us publication want to run something about one woman provoking an argument with a whole load of people she doesn't know based on some erroneous facts and statistical mistakes?

also Leati.... how do you know that those of us who answered are in the UK or are British? kinda kills your premise if we're not doesn't it?

LittleLupin

I read several articles showing that there is a lacking of education when it comes to drinking and pregnancy in the UK. I wanted to capture that ignorance while educating, in hopes that one day it may make difference.

I know that you guys think poorly of me right now but I don't have to live you...I do have to live with myself. And if I don't say or do anything, it is the same as saying it is okay to me.

And it is not okay. So I am done printing. Good-nite and Good-chatting ladies.

" I wanted to capture that ignorance while educating" oh lolololol

I googled too!

farking evangelists. Live your own life the way you want and leave others to live theirs. Reminds me of my evangelical, born again Christian MIL. I don't need saving by her or anyone else.

yes, us MN lot are very uneducated.

thanks for shining a light on our ignorance.

I don't know where everyone lives...just those with profiles.